The fucking cotton celing debate again, or put the whip away and back away from the equine carcass.

First off I should probably state, as a transwoman myself I despise this theory, I think it is poorly worded, fundementally wrong, and needs to be removed from use before it can do anymore harm.

That being said I would like to apologise.

To those who were offended or harmed by this term and the fallout it wrought I apologise.

To those who decided to interfere in consenting relationships between two people based on the fact one was trans I do not apologise. It is not the victims place to apologise

To those who felt pressured or coerced by this term, to those who felt pressured into accepting trans partners based upon this , or felt your refusal would be deemed transphobic I apologise.

To those who treated transpeoples presence in a way closer akin to an unclean parasite than a human being I do not apologise.

To those who felt transphobic based on lack of attraction to trans people I apologise.

To those who deliberately misgendered trans people as a way to harm them or interfere in their relationships and friendships even with those they were out to, I will never apologise to you, you have acted in ways as misogynistic and privileged as the patriarchy itself.

To any and all who suffered through this horrid term, it’s effects. the opressiveness of it. the rapeyness of the term itself I apologise.

To any and all who ever used this term as a weapon of debate, to any who ever used it to pressure another human being. You have done more harm to the trans community as a whole than you could ever imagine. I am ashamed such actions ever took place.

That being said I would like to propose we let this term die, there are better ways to get through to people than this. I would like to see trans and non trans move on with their lives as peacefully as possible and this term die as it should have done long ago.

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Hello there, I like your blog/username. I just came across your blog from the trans thread on IBTP. I think it’d be great to let The Cotton Ceiling debacle die, except that the young transwomen behind it were flying The Cotton Ceiling underwear banner high a few weeks ago at gay pride here in Toronto. Surely its founders have seen the feminist blogosphere response to the birth of the term, which makes me think they don’t care and/or don’t get it, and which is why my wife and I are interested in dialoguing with them about it. Though some radfem blogs say that there’s no point because discussion goes nowhere and death threats from transwomen ensue shortly afterwards. I hold out hope that with these particular young transwomen, that’s not the case. I also wonder if the (small?) group of boundary-tramply transwomen out there are more apt to listen to other transwomen like you than cis lesbians when it comes to the issue of women-only space in general and the Cotton Ceiling issue in particular. Thoughts?

Allie said,

Feminist Rag: Clearly the term itself is problematic and badly chosen, and more likely than not to be misunderstood even if it wasn’t for the small minority of trans women who genuinely argue the incredibly rapey line that it’s transphobic to reject a potential partner for having the wrong genitals.

But I’ve come across plenty of “radfem” blogs which display a clear understanding that it’s not about sex but about lesbian- and women’s only spaces, from munches to parties and clubs to crisis centres and feminist organising, and brazenly argue that trans women *should* be excluded from these spaces. Any death threats from a transfeminist angle against these particular bloggers are roughly equivalent to death threats against the likes of Rush Limbaugh from a feminist angle – extreme, inadvisable, probably counterproductive, but still only the actions of the oppressed lashing back against the oppressor.